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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746266">mortal once again</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/noirshitsuji/pseuds/noirshitsuji'>noirshitsuji</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>wild hearts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU Episode: s03 Desperada, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Is Not Okay, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Angst, F/M, Gen, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Introspection, One-Sided Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, POV Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Secret Identity, Snake Adrien Agreste | Aspik, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, background Adrien Agreste &amp; Emilie Agreste</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:07:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>542</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/noirshitsuji/pseuds/noirshitsuji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ladybug calls him amazing 25,913 times and it hurts because Adrien knows it’s a lie, but it’s still better than when she says, in each of those instances, that they’d make an incredible team.</p><p>(That one hurts for precisely the opposite reason.)</p><p>Enemies!AU. Adrien works with Hawkmoth. Desperada doesn't turn out very differently for everybody else.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, background Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Gabriel Agreste | Hawkmoth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>wild hearts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023714</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>mortal once again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrien has to stifle a shocked giggle when Ladybug presents him with the box. It’s the same lacquered hexagonal piece of wood he keeps in the bottom drawer of his desk, and his instinct is to mentally note that information to tell Father later <em>but no, </em>he shoves that thought down just as he had the one about coming out to follow Ladybug as Chat Noir after she left him and Luka earlier. </p><p>(If anybody asks, he was either biding his time or couldn’t get away from the other boy and transform. Anything outside of the truth – that he was waiting for her to come back and <em>save the day as always </em>so that she could smile at him the next day at school.</p><p>Adrien doesn’t know when seeing his mother’s smile again became less of a priority than seeing Marinette’s. He just knows that he’s probably <em> technically </em> the worse-off for it.)</p><p>“Adrien Agreste, here's the Miraculous of the Snake which grants the power of Second Chance,” she says as he reaches for the box, “You will use it for the greater good–”</p><p>–and his hand pauses, just for a second, because–</p><p>“–you will return the Miraculous to me.”</p><p>And then takes it from her before she can change her mind. </p><p>And the only thing going through his isn’t that this is a test-drive of redemption, no; it’s <em>maybe using another Miraculous could hide my identity from– </em></p><p>(Adrien doesn’t know when he decided he needed an exit plan. He just knows that sometimes Plagg very quietly asks him if he’s okay in a tone that makes it sound like <em> he </em>is the one giving him an answer he can’t contradict.)</p><hr/><p>Adrien tries to save Ladybug 25,913 times.</p><p>In 3 of these, he tells her who he is. (He has blocked any information beyond the fact that they've happened from his mind, but has no doubts that they will haunt his nightmares.)</p><p>And in the rest? They work together and fail miserably, but Adrien is stubborn (<em>trapped</em>) and Adrien tries and Adrien–</p><p>–gives her the miraculous back, apologies tumbling out of his lips, with half a mind to slip a <em> but this is what our story is, isn’t it? </em> between the <em> Lukawouldbebettersuited</em>s and the <em> ifailedimsorry</em>s.</p><p>Her smile is very soft when she tells him to go and hide and he nods, one last sign of obedience for the day because the next time he sees her it’s baton stopping yo-yo. She and Luka win the day and her smile at the other boy breaks his heart, but Adrien gets to take a Miraculous wielder’s identity back to his father, so at least the balance between them is once again what it always has been and he swallows it down like bitter medicine; it’s the closest to comfort he’ll get.</p><p>(Later, he asks Plagg if they didn’t work well together because he was supposed to be the villain in the story or because he was supposed to be fighting as Chat Noir by her side.</p><p>His kwami looks at him, cheese in his hands, and this time it’s Adrien handing both of them the answer to his own question on a silver platter.</p><p>It’s not like he’s ever really doubted it.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't know if it's good, I just know that it had to be done.</p><p>I always appreciate reviews on my fics, so please tell me what you think down below. You can also find me on <a href="https://noirshitsuji.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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